NAVAL YARD (Contd.)
Commodore E. J. Church points out that it would be better, if they should concentrate in one spot, to concentrate in Victoria instead of on the other side of the harbour.
We might delve a little further into the correspondence in 1890 regarding the proposal to move the establishments to Kowloon. The Naval authorities sent in plans and memos showing the amount of land they would require on the other side of the harbour in place of that in Victoria. Commodore Church, however, definitely opposed the scheme.
The correspondence extends into 1892, when there is reference to negotiations for the purchase of buildings near the Royal Naval Yard in Hong Kong owned by Mr. Edmund Sharp, who stated that he was willing to sell the entire property, with rights and privileges, for the sum of £70,000 or its equivalent in local currency, or to lease it at an annual rent of £3,000. This property was eventually purchased (in 1896) and modified for requirements of the Establishment. It consisted of Chinese tenements, east of the Naval Yard adjoining the military area.
In December 1891, Admiral Richards forwarded a modified scheme to the Admiralty which included a straightening of Queen's Road, and recommended its adoption. The suggestion appears to have hung fire until November 1895, when a letter from Admiral Buller to the Admiralty states that the Praya frontage scheme and removal to Kowloon "were clearly out of the question," and he proposed a scheme for the extension of the yard at Victoria. In April 1896, the Admiralty replied to Admiral Buller, stating that the Colonial Office had agreed to abandon the Praya scheme in favour of widening Queen's Road. The purchase of Mr. Sharp's buildings (see above) had been decided upon, and a full report as to road widening and extension was called for.
In November 1896, a letter from Commodore Holland to Admiral Buller notified that the Commanding Officer had agreed to the Naval Yard extension, which Admiral Buller strongly urged the Admiralty to adopt, and in August 1897 they notified the Admiral that the War Office had agreed to re-arrange the matter. This extension appears to have been carried out between that year and 1900, the North Barracks and Commissariat building being acquired by the Navy.
As recently as May 1901, we find Commodore Powell forwarding to the Government a proposal by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Paul Chater to move the Naval Yard to the west side of the Kowloon Peninsula. The Commodore reports on Mr. Chater's scheme, stating that there was need for further expansion "and if the present site were retained it would eventually be necessary to acquire more property." In many ways, Mr. Chater's site, he said, was not a favourable one - dredging would be necessary, there were a large number of Chinese dwellings near, and so forth.
The Commodore suggested Rocky Peak at Lyemun and Hung Hom Bay at Kowloon as possible alternative sites. He forwarded his scheme to Admiral Seymour, mentioning that houses for Europeans might be erected on Mount Cochran.
In October 1901, the Admiralty notified Admiral Seymour that they were forwarding a copy of the letter to the Colonial Office, also stating that the Admiralty "could not concur in the proposal." This apparently concluded the further consideration of the removal scheme, and it has never been carried out. Sir Paul Chater's vision of a magnificent Praya with blocks of high office buildings extending right along the seafront from West Point to Wanchai, was thus destined to receive a check; but we